There is known in printed-circuit production technology the need to place in electrical connection with one another the conducting paths on opposite sides of a flat panel comprised of an insulating substrate covered on both surfaces with a thin coating of conductive material such as copper.
Such connection is achieved by making holes in the board, which are then internally lined with a layer of conductive material (copper) by electrolytic deposition carried out in suitable electroplating plants, in which there is also performed a further operation which involves covering all the copper conducting surfaces comprising the electric circuit with a further layer of protective material and solder (tin-lead alloy) as may be necessary for the subsequent processing of the printed circuit.
Electroplating apparatus of known type for such purposes has, however, certain disadvantages which substantially limit its production capacity. The apparatus provides for electrolytic solution interception tanks of a static type which do not allow the application of high currents to the anode and cathode in order to obtain high rates of deposition. In addition, feeding of the board is discontinuous and the board itself has to be raised, shifted and lowered in the various treatment tanks by means of suitable handling devices, such movements effectively resulting in corresponding down times which bring about a lengthening of the overall cycle time and ultimately a loss of output.